Port

Mercator Marina

4.1Ostende, Belgium

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Maximum length: 114 ft
VHF channel: 14
Maximum draught: 19 ft

Marina of 200 berths in the Mercatordok in central Ostend. Access through the Mercator lock from the outer harbour. VHF 14.

Guide

Approach and anchoring

Enter through the Mercator lock, which belongs to the marina, and on under two bridges; call ahead by phone or on VHF 14. In the lock use the vertical ropes rather than the horizontal mooring lines, which is much easier, and the staff guide boats through and show the berth with a diagram of the route. For departure, tell the marina in advance, as the lock works to set times, often on the half hour during the day. In strong winds it is better to lie in the inner basin behind the lock, as the outer marina takes swell.

Practical

A berth was about 51 euros for a 13 metre boat, and there are no maritime services for the boat itself. Showers and toilets are kept very clean; the coin machines in the showers can be ignored, as the hot water runs anyway, and wifi is weak at some berths. Note that the Passport of Calls scheme is not always accepted here.

Ashore

The marina sits in the centre of Ostend, within 100 to 200 metres of the train station, the pedestrian shopping streets, a supermarket and the fish market. Trains run to Bruges and Ghent, and the beaches are a short walk. There is some street noise in the evening, but little more than is usual in town.